Soarin’ Over California lifts people in the air and then takes them on the journey of a lifetime. Riders thrill at the sensation of flying, as they are provided with a bird’s eye view of the breathtaking scenery below.
There is no other ride in the world that simulates an entire day of activities in California. Only Disney would be so daring as to sweep riders up in front of an IMAX screen and then take them on a voyage across the state where Walt Disney’s empire was built.
In roughly five minutes, people on the attraction hit all of the popular tourist attractions such as the Golden Gate Bridge, wine country and even Disneyland during its nightly fireworks display. Soarin’ Over California is one of the signature rides at both of Disney’s American theme parks, and its standard wait-time of 45-100 minutes, depending on the park, demonstrates its lasting appeal over time. You know Soarin’ and you love it. Let Theme Park Tourist take you behind the ride so that you can better understand it.
1. Building the impossible
The Experience: Lifting 87 passengers at once into the air in a way that allows each one to have an optimal view of an IMAX screen
The Trick: The premise of Soarin’ Over California was always to provide the sensation of flight for theme park guests. Imagineer Kathy Mangum described it thusly: “The genesis of the idea goes back to our dream of being able to fly, along with the impressive natural beauty of California” As originally envisioned, however, Soarin’ was determined to be impossible by Disney Imagineers in 1996. The ride was initially conceptualized as a hang gliding simulator. The infamous “dry cleaning idea” presumed that individual seats would rotate on a moving conveyor, with guests hanging from hooks like laundry. Alas, designer Barry Braverman noted that it “had all kinds of problems.” Presumably, theme park visitors don’t enjoy feeling like they just came out of the dryer.
Several other strategies were examined, all of which had the same intended goal of giving the rider a great IMAX view plus the sensation of flight. None of them was deemed feasible. In the end, inspiration came from an unlikely source. Imagineer Mark Sumner happened to discover his childhood Erector Set during a weekend visit to his parents’ house. While playing with his forgotten toys in the attic, Sumner was struck with inspiration. He returned to work with a functional design on the following Monday morning and promptly became known as Mr. Erector. Okay, nobody ever called him that, but his creative solution was immediately adopted.
The only difference between the model he displayed during that Monday meeting and the ride we have today is an apparatus built from a million pounds of steel capable of lifting 37 tons. The underlying design of the Erector Set prototype remains the same, though. Guests all board at once and then are simultaneously lifted to the appropriate level for their part of the IMAX viewing screen. It’s an elegant solution to a seemingly impossible problem.
2. Filming the land
The Experience: Riders watch video that provides a bird’s eye view of California.
The Trick: In order to provide the perfect cinematography, Disney embarked upon a quest to film the finest landscapes in the Golden State. Ramping up the difficulty is the fact that the video has to match the meticulously calculated movements of the ride lift above.
Imagineers were forced to create a projection system that delivers a bird’s eye view. In addition, they needed a film format as well as a film process that would allow for the peculiar type of cinematography required for this project. The Soarin’ IMAX experience occurs in an inverted dome, meaning that filming would require a conversion after the fact.
Disney settled upon an IMAX 15 perforation/70mm format at 48 frames per second featuring a take-in lens. The unusually high frame rate for the time was selected to provide ultra-clear detail to the proceedings. The camera possessed the equivalent of a peripheral vision in that anything that the viewer can see with their eyes is recorded by their equipment. In order to capture the majesty of California, camera operators flew in helicopters as they roved across vaunted tourist attractions.
Of course, selecting the equipment was only the first step in the process. Disney had to negotiate with government officials in order to film some of the key segments. In fact, the Department of the Interior only provided a tight four-hour window for filming the Yosemite Park segment of Soarin’. There was also no ability to reschedule, meaning that inclement weather or any sort of technical disaster would have prevented Yosemite’s inclusion. Similarly, Monterey’s status as a marine sanctuary led to a year of bureaucratic negotiations to obtain the requisite permits.
In total, there are 13 different regions of California featured in Soarin’, all of which came with their own set of filming troubles. The next time you enjoy the ride, take a moment to appreciate how many tight scheduling windows Imagineers had to overcome in order to achieve every segment of the ride that they wanted.
As many readers know, a new version of the Soarin’ film is rumored to have been completed in 2014. While Disney has thus far denied the rumor, the ride is closed at Disneyland until May, ostensibly as part of the refurbishment for the park’s 60th anniversary. While a digital print may become standard in the near future, the original version remains as a work of art.
3. Smell the oranges
The Experience: Riders literally smell the oranges when soaring through the orange blossoms.
The Trick: Disney’s theme parks are well known for their usage of fragrances to enhance the visitor experience. Wonderful smells calm the nerves and create a feeling of safety and happiness. They also have a hidden usage. Flight simulators are well known for creating nausea, but these issues can be mitigated for some by distracting the senses.
With Soarin’, Disney accomplishes two goals at once. During the mountain sequence, the smell of evergreen is piped into the dome. As riders see orange orchards for the first time, a powerful orange fragrance is unleashed. There are several such instances during the video featuring scents such as ocean mist, pine and sagebrush. While people susceptible to motion sickness cannot be fully protected from such issues, the various perfumes can neutralize the issue for many.
4. Hear the waves
The Experience: The flight music matches the on-screen action
The Trick: This effect may not be on a par with building a million tons of steel or filming out a helicopter, but the Soarin’ music has proven so popular that it has been included on multiple Disney soundtracks. Academy Award-winning composer Jerry Goldsmith created the musical accompaniment three years prior to his death. The man who was nominated for 18 Oscars had exactly the kind of pedigree Disney desired for this historic project.
For his part, Goldsmith was thrilled to be included. He considered it a fitting tribute to his late father, who was a pilot and had presumably enjoyed the same bird’s eye view of California at many points during his life. Goldsmith was so moved that he allegedly burst into tears after his first ride on Soarin’.
Since its introduction at Disneyland in 2001, Soarin’ has become a linchpin ride for theme park fans. With so many amazing technologies in play, it’s no wonder why Soarin’ has stood the test of time. Hopefully, the next iteration will provide an even deeper experience while remaining true to the original intent of the ride.
